Inspiration
by freewaffles
Summary: When Yuki is at odds about what to write for his essay, Tohru comes to the rescue! Hijinks ensue, paper is crumbled, food is burnt, and... lipgloss?


'**Inspiration' – A Fruits Basket Fanfiction OneShot**

**Rating: Teen-ish for Romance/Humor**

**Pairing: Yuki X Tohru**

**Dedicated To: My Loyal Fans as an apology for slacking on the job.**

**Warnings: One dazed Yuki, and a strawberry Tohru XD**

**Disclaimer: Really, though? The site is called 'Fanfiction.' The fact that NO ONE who writes here owns what they're writing about should be pretty obvious… just sayin'**

**A/N: Okay people I just wrote this on the spot to say thanks to those who've been reviewing my stories and motivating me, especially iiWishUponAStar (working on your requests :D), hugearchiefan (I love you, deary 3), and Kpopophile (hah your comments make me smile :D). You guys mean the world to an up and coming writer like me. I won't be updating for quite some time, so I wanted to leave you all with something to look forward to upon my return. It's a Yukiru, one of my FAVORITE pairings ever, although it was really hard writing this because it's hard to keep this pairing in character to me… I hope I did a good job and I hope you guys enjoy…**

**-Kashi**

* * *

Yuki, leaning on his elbow on the kotatsu, tapped with his pencil as he stared idly at the blank sheet of paper before him. Across the room where the trash bin sat there were crumples of discarded ideas strewn about, his failed attempts to land them in the bin evident. A headache was forming, he could tell, and it wasn't from an overly auditory household; the cat was at the dojo, the dog in his study, and Tohru worked contently in the kitchen. Everybody was left to their own devices, and it seemed Yuki was the only one that had not yet succeeded in his.

No, the boy was not illiterate; far from it, really. Being Student Council President meant having an image to maintain, which the silver-haired boy did well, upholding admirable conduct and earning top marks in all of his studies. _'His studies,'_ he scoffed. None of what he'd studied in all his school years had prepared him for such an assignment. His education had been built on research and statistical information. Everything he knew could be taught, and was based on hard work and investigation, and yet Mayu-sensei would base half of their semester grade on assignment of which the content he knew _nothing_ about.

"_Describe your feelings. About anything, about anyone. Connect with your inner self; use your imagination. Due in one week."_

To put it frankly, Yuki had little experience with this. All of his emotions were categorized as neatly and as orderly as any other aspect of his life:

Hate: the cat, the dog, chaos, the cat, cooking, the curse, the cat, and so on

Like: leeks, gardening, martial arts, order, etc.

These were not the only categories; Family, Responsibilities, Needs, Wants, Information. However, there was one thing that Yuki could never categorize, or ever set in line with the rest of his orderly life. _She_ was the one thing he could never group with anything else: _Tohru_. What to make of this brown-haired, blue-eyed girl, Yuki did not know. How he felt about her, what she meant to him, how to even describe just how concerned he was with her, he did not know. She wasn't just a maid. No, Tohru was something deeper, better…

And that's how he got to where he was now. It was happening a lot like this, lately: he'd start a task with such a force of determination, and then his mind would drift to her and her sapphire eyes, chocolate hair, radiant smile…

God, was he a pervert, noticing every aspect of her like this? He'd been living with Shigure too long. How else could he explain his abnormally in depth obsession with how she'd tie her hair each day, or the little skip she always had in her step during the walk home, or the way she'd dig the dirt in _their_ garden, or… or…

Or maybe he needed a psychiatrist. Perhaps a good knock in the head would put some sense of decency back in there. But who would do it? Surely not the cat; wasn't he at Kazuma's dojo now, training in vain to beat the silver-haired teen, his own crimson eyes filled with that fire he always seemed to have?

"Oh, Yuki-kun! Ano, I had no idea you were in here. It was so quiet." He felt the corners of his mouth turn up, and Yuki's conscious betrayed him as a genuine grin was engraved along his features. Tohru always had this effect on him. He replied in his calm, even voice, "I'm sorry if I startled you."

"Oh, not at all! I'm just a little surprised is all! Really! I should apologize to you for interrupting! I-!"

"Tohru-san." It was still so foreign using such a term for the girl, eve after she insisted that they'd known each other far too long for formalities. "It's quite alright. Actually, you weren't interrupting anything," he said casting a gloomed look over the paper still in front of him, the corner now stained with choppy gray lead marks. Her own deep blue eyes looked at the paper, before glancing towards the graveyard of vain attempts about the trash bin.

Looking back at her housemate, Tohru questioned, "What's wrong Yuki-kun? What are you writing?" Her puzzled expression quickly turned to panic. "Ah! How rude of me! Whatever Yuki-kun is writing is Yuki-kun's business! It probably wouldn't interest me anyway! Ah! Not to say that Yuki-kun is boring, it's just that he's so distinguished and-"

Yuki chuckled lightly at her spastic behavior, watching as she flailed her arms wildly in denials and apologies. "Tohru-san, it's alright that you asked. And perhaps you wouldn't find it interesting. It's just the assignment Mayu-sensei assigned the other day."

Realization dawned on Tohru as she calmed herself, opting to gather the scraps on the floor and dispose of them properly. "The descriptive piece? Oh, I really liked that essay! I mean, I'm not that good at writing and most of the prompts bore me, but this one was really fun, don't you think," she exclaimed with a silly smile, plopping down beside Yuki at the kotatsu.

Yuki's cheeks tinted red, but only slightly, at the close contact with the girl. "Yes, that's the one. I can't seem to think of anything… wait, have you already completed this?" he questioned with an inquiring look. Tohru flushed under his gaze.

"Ano, it wasn't really that complicated to me," she smiled shyly. "I guess I'm just better at, umm, quatinativ, uh, quanila, aah…"

"Qualitative, Tohru-san?" Tohru's blush deepened, but she nodded. Yuki looked away, contemplating what he was about to ask with deep consideration.

"Tohru-san?" She nodded, urging him to continue as she leaned in closer to his face, peering into his glassy plum eyes with her own icy cerulean ones. Somehow, he managed to control the blood attempting to rush to his cheeks. "Would you… _how_ did you figure what to write about, if I may ask?"

Tohru quickly snapped her eyes from his at the question, looking into her lap as she started fiddling with her thumbs. She replied, "Well, ano, I just thought about something I enjoy, that brightens my day…" Yuki noticed a gentle, small smile grace her face, before she looked up at Yuki again, a look of determination replacing that of embarrassment. "All you need is practice! Ah! I know the perfect thing to use!"

Before Yuki could respond, Tohru was up and running off up the stairs, apparently to her room. Yuki could only stare in astonishment at the now empty seat where the girl had been, wondering what to expect when she would return. Looking down at the paper and seeing that the leadful corner had increased in size, he quickly crumpled it into a tight ball and tossed. _Miss._ Sighing, he propped his chin in his hand, awaiting Tohru's return.

Suddenly he heard the soft pitter-patter of Tohru's feet downstairs, and a moment later she appeared holding something hidden in her small fist. Yuki quirked an eyebrow up in wonder. Tohru padded over with a triumphant smile, sitting back in her place beside Yuki before holding her fist out towards him. Slowly she opened her hand, revealing the contents in her palm: a tube of lip gloss. And not any type, either, but Cotton Candy Pink Glimmer Gloss, as etched on the side of the tube.

Yuki stared quizzically at the object seemingly gleaming in her hand like some sort of safe haven, or at least that's how she made it seem. "Tohru-san," he questioned, "How is _this_ going to help me with my essay?" Tohru just beamed brighter.

"Uo-chan and Hana-chan bought this for me yesterday when we went shopping." Some pink made it back to her cheeks. "But, I, well, umm, they said it would m-make me more a-attractive," she stammered.

"_That's illogical; you're already adorable,"_ he thought, before mentally punching himself for being a pervert.

"And I looked at the bottle and, see here," she questioned pointing towards the wrapping on the tube, smiling, "It says it'll 'Stimulate Your Senses' and when I saw that, I figured I'd write about something that stimulates my senses…" She trailed off, and Yuki observed the pink tinting her face again.

"But anyway I figured you could practice with this! I'm sure you could describe this pretty well!" She sounded so excited, and yet Yuki was just so unsure.

"Tohru-san, I don't think…" Tohru's sad expression, almost as if she would cry if he declined her assistance. "I mean, well, what's your suggestion, Tohru-san?"_ 'How could I say 'no' to that face?'_

Tohru was oblivious to his inner battle, however."Okay, umm, write down everything about the lip gloss according to your senses, Yuki-kun!" Yuki, giving a mock-exasperated look, which made Tohru giggle, set to work with the new task.

_Look: pink?_

"No, Yuki-kun!" squealed Tohru, making the boy jump at her sudden outburst. "Use more description! Oh, I know!" she said, and she quickly grabbed the tube from where it sat on the table before them, unscrewed the cap, and attempted to apply it to her own lips.

Needless to say, she did a less than perfect job. Yuki stifled a grin at her silly demeanor; pale, delicate fingers grasped the applicator shakily, her eyebrows furrowed in frustration as she smeared the gloss along her lips… and chin… and cheeks…

His eyes twinkling, Yuki stood up and walked into the bathroom, leaving Tohru confused as to why he made his leave. The teen walked back in with a grin still on his face, kneeling down in front of Tohru at the kotatsu. "Do you need help, Tohru-san?" She blushed, nodding timidly at his inquisition. He lightly grasped the hand that held the gloss moving it to the side as he used the napkin Tohru's face lightly with his other hand. Tohru turned her head away slightly, embarrassed at her cosmetic mistake.

"Umm, so Yuki-kun? Do you think you could describe it n-now?" she inquired shyly, still averting his gaze. Yuki was quiet for some time, and she started to wonder if this was a bad idea. However, after a minute he spoke.

"It's glimmering, like a star-speckled sky, the hue of nearly-ripe strawberries." That was unexpected.

He got a little closer to her face, his nose flaring. "It smells like a fair in the summer, with children running around in the heat eating the cotton candy. I can practically hear their cries of enjoyment." When had he been so poetic? Or... dizzy?

He brought up his hand, now free of the napkin, and lightly rubbed it against her lip line, making her look at him in puzzlement. Drawing his hand back he examined the bit of stray gloss on his forefinger. "It feels gooey," he laughed, "like fresh maple tree sap." He wiped his hand on the napkin, before bringing it to cup her chin, leaning his head closer and resting his forehead upon hers.

Tohru's face immediately turned as red as a strawberry at the close proximity of their faces. She peered into Yuki's eyes, examining his dazed expression. He seemed completely out of it, as though examining his senses _too_ much. "Umm, ano, Y-Yuki-kun?"

He just leaned in closer, connecting their noses. She could feel his warm breath mingling with hers, creating a minty-strawberry taste, as he whispered, " And the taste…" Years seemed to go by as he leaned in closer until their lips were a centimeter apart. "The taste…"

"TOHRU-KUN! IS DINNER READY _YET_, MY LITTLE FOWER?!" Yuki and Tohru both snapped their head up in surprised, bumping them in the process. Yuki sat rubbing his head, apparently snapped from his daze, while Tohru frantically stood up, running towards the kitchen.

"Ahh! Shigure-san! I'm so sorry I almost forgot! It's on the stove… Oh No! I-left the food on s-stove! Ah! I'm so stupid! What if it b-burns! Ah!" She continued the rant as she attempted to salvage the almost forgotten dinner.

Yuki sighed, wondering what had gotten into him. Was he crazy? It seemed as though he couldn't control his emotions. And those lips… those lips that seemed to beg for attention. Gah, he was becoming a pervert, almost as bad as the damn dog. Speaking of the dog, Yuki's eyes narrowed at the sound of his voice coming from the kitchen.

"Ah, my little flower! What's this?! Make-up? I never thought I'd see the day! I must say, it is very attractive on you! I wonder how'd it look if you put some on me…?"

"YOU PERVERT!" Kyou's brash voice rung out, followed by Shigure's cries of "My House!" Tohru's attempts to calm the red-headed boy, which soon included those to calm Yuki as he attacked his cousins for the loud noise they made.

Everything seemed to be back to normal... well, as normal as Shigure's household could be. Yuki, wiping his hands along his pants after the cat had been somewhat disposed of, reentered the dining room where his unfinished observations sat. Walking over, he picked up the paper and read his lame dissertation, before recalling what he had said, _what he had done_, to Tohru earlier. Smiling, though without the hint of red flushing his cheeks going unnoticed, he went up to his room. This topic was as perfect after all.

* * *

"Good job, Sohma," exclaimed Mayu-sensei in her usual dry voice as she passed back his essay. "Although the topic you chose was… unconventional." Yuki ignored the comment, simply grinning his polite smile at the teacher as he received his paper, a large red A+ across the top. As she walked pass, he observed as the teacher didn't say anything to Tohru as she handed back the paper, simply smirking and walking on.

Yuki turned in his seat to face the girl as she quickly folded her essay. "So," he inquired. "How did you do?"

Tohru smiled, a raging blush illuminating her features. "F-fine. Actually, I got an A-A." Yuki quirked his eyebrows up in surprise. "What was your topic, Tohru-san?" The girl squirmed in her seat, fiddling with the paper that was folded in her hands, hiding its contents from prying eyes.

"It was…" she started.

"W-well, it was a-about…" she stammered. Yuki looked at her, concern etched across his face.

"Tohru-san…"

_B-B-B-B-BRINNNNNNG_

The dismissal bell rung out, and Tohru quickly got up. "Ahh! I have work today! Got to go, Yuki-kun," she said quickly dashing up and out of the door, but not without dropping something along the way. Yuki sighed, and got up to retrieve the item before noticing that it was the same paper she twiddled in her hand. _Her essay._

He knew it was wrong, immoral, dishonest, but he had to know. Peering around and seeing no one around to witness his crime, he swiftly unfolded the paper, and read.

_Honda Tohru_

_Class 3-D_

_March 20, 2010_

"_Amethyst Eyes"_

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**A/N: So? How was it? This is my first oneshot, so I hope it delivered. I had a lot of fun writing this, actually, and no planning went into it at all. I just… wrote. =^_^=**

**So please REVIEW and DO MY NEW POLL!**

**I ACCEPT ANONYMOUS REVIEWS!!!**

**Thanks! Ja ne, minna!**

**-Kashi**

**Note: THIS IS THE REVISED VERSION! PLEASE REVIEW TO ALERT ME OF ANY FURTHER CHANGES YOU MIGHT SUGGEST!**


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